used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
Amole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
at or in or to any place
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
cactusnounUS /ˈkæktəs/
any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World and usually having spines
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
drearadjective
causing dejection
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
expansenounUS /ɪkˈspæns/
a wide scope
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
fringing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
heat-waves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
ten 10s
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
lonesomeadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnsəm/
being the only one; single and isolated from others
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
monotonousadjectiveUS /məˈnɑːtənəs/
tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
northeastnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/
the compass point midway between north and east; at 45 degrees
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
relieveverbUS /rɪˈliːv/
provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
sagebrushnounUS /ˈseɪdʒbrʌʃ/
any of several North American composite subshrubs of the genera Artemis or Seriphidium
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
sand-dune
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
except for; apart from
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
shacknounUS /ʃæk/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
southwestnounUS /ˌsaʊˈθwest/
the compass point midway between south and west; at 225 degrees
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
swervingnoun
the act of turning aside suddenly
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
terminatedadjectiveUS /ˈtɜːrməneɪtɪd/
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading It terminated, or partly terminated--swerving off into the south beyond--in a long sand-dune running northeast and southwest.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
unbrokenadjectiveUS /ənˈbroʊkən/
marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
unutterablyadverb
to an inexpressible degree
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
viedverbUS /vaɪd/
past form of “vie” — compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Amole_ and sagebrush and cactus vied with each other to relieve the dead, flat, monotonous brown.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading A PICTURE A hundred miles west from the shack, stretching away from it in an almost unbroken expanse, was a desert within the desert.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without movement anywhere, save for the heat-waves ascending, this expanse presented an unutterably drear and lonesome aspect.
world-old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This mighty roll lay brooding, as did the world-old expanse fringing it, in the silence of late morning.
